Thousands of Students and Faculty Exposed in Bristol Community College Data Breach

Bristol Community College is a mid-sized public university located in Fall River, Massachusetts. The school employs more than 1,000 individuals and has over 11,000 students annually. The school houses an extensive amount of data for its employees and its students, and some of that data was put at risk by a recent breach. The data breach left many people involved with the school at risk of being exposed and suffering from identity theft attacks. 

How Did the Attack Occur?

The Bristol Community College breach occurred because one or more attackers broke into the school's data network and accessed confidential information. The network intrusion persisted from December 13 until December 14, 2022. During the two days, the attackers were able to get away with a substantial amount of protected information that could be used in a harmful way. 

What Information Was Viewed or Stolen?

In the attack, it was determined that the hackers were able to get away with harmful data that was protected and confidential. The data includes things like Social Security numbers, HIPAA-protected data, credit or debit card information, State ID numbers, passport numbers, first and last names, and more. With access to some or all of these data pieces, attackers can do real harm to the people exposed during this data breach. If you were hit by the breach, you should take action to protect yourself because you are at risk of being hit by a cyber attack of your own. 

How Did Bristol Community College Admit to the Breach?

The college put out two different notices informing people it was part of a data breach. Both notices were on May 10, 2023, and one went to the Maine Attorney General's office while the other was on the school's website. Between these two notices, it is public knowledge that the college was hit by a data breach. Students and faculty involved will also receive individual notices informing them of the breach and how their information could be involved. 

What Will Become of the Stolen Information?

It's likely the information will be misused in an attempt to attack the students and employees involved and to take money from them. If your data is involved, you may receive phishing attacks, and the hackers could open fraudulent accounts in your name. Your data could also be resold in an attempt to make more money from it. 

What Should Affected Parties Do in the Aftermath of the Breach?

For those who receive a letter telling you about this breach, you should take steps to guard your data and your credit. The most effective thing you can do is to put a freeze on your credit at each of the different bureaus. If you don't want to lock down your credit and prevent yourself from opening new accounts, you could also invest in a credit monitoring service. These services tell you when changes occur to your credit so you know what issues to expect in the future. Take immediate action, and you should be able to protect yourself.